1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cooking pots and, more particularly, to an apparatus to eliminate the boiling over of food in said pots.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many complex and different methods are known in the related art to prevent food from boiling over within a cooking pot. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,524 issued in the name Loyd et al., an over flow cooking pot assembly is disclosed. Also, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,453 also issued in the name of Loyd et al., another over flow cooking pot assembly is disclosed. In both of the above Loyd et al. references, pots having a variable diameter are disclosed and are utilized to prevent overflow of boiling food. Typical of both the Loyd et al. references, an enlarged increased diameter section of the pot at the upper end is used to accommodate the increased volume of water and foam which result when boiling food boils over. An obvious problem associated with both of these references is that each discloses a customize designed utensil that cannot be used with existing cookware.
Also in U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,707, issued in the name of Schwind et al., an overflow preventing kitchen utensil is disclosed. The utensil described in the Schwind et al. reference is adapted to be positioned on a rim of a cleaning vessel and has two annular channels, one open toward the center and the other open towards the top. The upper wall of the first channel defines the bottom of the second channel. A plurality of apertures in the bottom of the second channel communicate with the first channel, these apertures being closer to the outer than to the inner wall of the second channel. Among the other problems associated with such a design, a device as disclosed in the Schwind et al. reference must be manufactured to a fixed diameter, and therefore cannot be adapted, as the need arises, to use with pots of different sizes.
Finally, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,167 issued in the name Desarzens, a non-boil over cooking assembly is disclosed. As disclosed in the Desarzens reference, a saucepan is combined with a generally conical safety funnel, which is detachably secured thereto. The funnel appears to act essentially as an inner heating vessel, allowing food which may boil over to be directed by the cone-shape into the volume between the outer edge of the funnel and the inner edge of the saucepan. Once again, such a design cannot be adapted, as the need arises, to use with pots of different sizes.
A common problem with all the above prior art references occurs in that they attempt to correct the effects of a pot boil over rather than a cause. All the above cited references provide for methods and manners to contain and direct boil overs rather than to prevent them initially. It has been found that one cause of boilovers is the result from the increased insulative effect of a foam layer on top of a boiling pot. This condition resulting in decreased heat transfer and super heating of the contained fluid. Consequently, a need has been felt for providing a method or manner for increasing heat flops or maintaining heat flops during both preheat and boil periods within a cooking vessel in order to prevent an insulative foam layer which causing super heating thereby boiling over.